Hi Mike, Reg, and all.
Mike, I'm a great believer in slumping also!! It's just because of the ballet training, it's almost impossible for me not to stand 'correctly', whatever that is!?! When I was a student at the Royal College of Music, I had a teacher who tried to change what was a natural posture for me, with the result that after a period of time (also trying to get me to 'support' by pulling in my abs etc, which is disastrous for the larnyx) by voice packed in completely, my right vocal cord haemmoraged and it was no singing at all for 9 months.
You can now I guess appreciate why I am so against 'methods'. Of course, there is or rather, should be only one way to sing physically, but that is not realistic. As we can see from this very interesting discussion, not everybody interprets ideas of technique in the same way, and that is the hardest thing for a teacher of singing to put over in many respects.
Before my vocal glip at the age of 22, I had been singing for 14 years with absolutely no ill effects at all. I was obviously just 'singing' when I was a kid, but thankfully my first singing teacher did not interfere with what I was doing physically. It wasn't until I read Seth's book, 'Singing For The Stars' that I realised what he was saying, I had been doing all my life.
Whilst I think of it: on the posture bit. Whereas that's good to have in the confines of the singing studio, most of my students are involved in West End Shows and Opera, so posture bosture. Anyone who's seen productions of opera at English National Opera and some of their very odd productions will agree, you simply can't think of such things when your suspended in a chaise longue, thirty feet above your the stage, standing on your head, and singing a Top C! Believe me, I've seen it done!!
Anyway, I'm off to New York City on Tuesday 3rd for a little break, so if I don't get time to hop in to the site, I shall look forward to it when I return. However, any listers in NY or thereabouts who wanna meet up, I'd be happy to try to accomodate.
Best to all,
Ian Voice wrecker to the stars, and dance double for Dame Margot Fonteyn (Yeah1 Right!)
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